Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-05-04
Defence of the French Nation,
ICoMMUNICATED.I

Iunintentionally frost you ara doiug
the French an iDjustioa which the facts
In tne case do not warrant in the least
Yonr article begins with two words
10 capital letters to emphsstzs them,
VIZ "AS USUAL, the French ma.
tion mas been bubbling over with ey
citema ant for which there was but littls
cause. A phrase which to q common
feaher, not well informed on French
history, would imply that the French
people are regular fire eaters, and ready
10 nSnt ~ the least provocation with
ont stopping to think If there is any
good reason for their doing 80. The
example OF the French nation for tho
laet seventeen years under q Republi
CAL government is we'll worthy of
praise, for after one of the most dis as.
trous wars that history can record she
has not despaired, but on the contrary
she bas bent ell her energies to keep
her pla 70 among this first class DO owers
"nere she rightly belongs, and In
science, Industry and military orpaui.
zation can this day show to the world
~Dat can be accomplished by pluck
and patriotism.
As for the "bubsllng over with ex-
citement, for which there was bu, little
cause" 1t all depends how we look at
tho case. One thing is certain, the
rrench press generally, By advice Of
the government, refrained from writing
anything which might preclpitate mat.
ters, as 1t is an open secret that the
longer Franco waits the stronger she
VIII De, and 1t might have been smother
aooae OF Bismarck to force fight which
france does not want, bat at the same
time she could do no less than to In
quire by what right O French citizen
could be thus arrested.
For the benefit of those not knowing
the details OF this case. please allow me
TO state the facts as they have come to
light after full investig CATION.
For obvious reasons this F.enoh Off
oiai, MT Schnaebsles, who 1 do not
suppose has any love for his forced Ger
man neia bors, had made him self liable
to arrest By the German authorities, at
least 60 they claim, If he could be cap.
tured inside their lines 81 to do this o
German official, under pre- ext Of want
Ing his help to fix the boundary line Of
their locality, sent to Mr.. Selma ebeles
very nice letter inviting him to q
conference On :he subject. A second
letter, m oro pressing than the first, de
cided Mr.. Schnaebeles, who could not
think that there WAS any duplicity IN
the N inter, and as 1t was on Off ,ial
business no felt that he ought to comply
with the request. Judge, then, OF his
aurpries when we'll over the line to find
himself confronted by German police
agents, disguised with blcuses, and
oeing told that he was q prisoner; moth.
ing daunted. though without arms, he
went ut them with his fists, and after a
short struggle cisengaged himself and
ran away on bis own side OF the land
that is on French soil, when his oppo.
neHts' havirg been reinforced, follow ed
MIN and brought him back, per force, 9
prisoner.
What was to be done then In such
case? ask all fair minded citizens, nc
matter O: what nation. Let MS remem
DER tne Gushing incident here witt
mexico. Did we think that we were
bubblipg yer with excitement anv tor
much then? How is 1t with the fsher
les cases ON the coast Of MaipeY Az,
tbey bubbiing over with needless az
citement there" Perhaps they coult
best answer. 1 pity the s1hjsct of any
government who, when arrested uplaw
fully, the pow or he owes allegiance Il
will not say q word or raise q hand Il
set him free. Praise be given to tht
French government instead of snesrs
tnat in this case it has shown In a dig
, uifisd manner to the German Premier Z
keep his place
France could do nc legs and the Ger
mans themselves should have been the
hrst to sneer, and with good cause, il I;
had allowed French citizen to be thus
kidnapped and left to their mercy.
Leaving the question of boundary one
aide. which either party will argue
about, the decoy letters were there
(this Is the irregularities you mention
in your editoriaD, and those letters
we're witnesses that could not be poI
over and tha German Premier had tc
give in, thus showing that he had bad
case and no justice on his side.
The last clause in your article fol
aratuitous advice Is well worth repeat
ing, and for GOODNESS takes the cake:
"The French should learn an importan
lesson from the ooo.nes5 and calmness
of the German PREMIER"
| Yes, he Is cool and calm, and go ore
al tyrants who, having power on thei,
side. will use 1t without any regard for
the feelings of others, 1t is with the
same coolI ess that he will dissolve the
| Reischtad time and as ain until he has
| around him creatures that do his bid.
ding. How would we glorify Prssi.
dent OF ours here II he should send
home our representatives because they
/ would not agree with him2 Not much,
we think, though he might be C Dol and
calm about 1t. What an example for
the French nation, o sister Republic.
TO follow. Shame that here on the
oanks of the historic BrsndywIne they
should be t,ld to look up to such q
despotic ruler for oalmnesy, he who is
grinding his very people and leaving
them for legacy o perpetual heritage OF
enmity with nation who should have
been friendly In spite Of losses, which
are but the natural results OF all wars
but for his grasping two provinces
par. aad parcel OF tho nation.
How would we like to have some OF
our New England States, though oripi.
lnally EnGlish, be made conquered
provinces Of the British empire again at
their will. Let US reflect calmly, as
you advise the French to do, and YOU
will see that 1t would be hard to bear,
Then let us look ACROSS the water and
see If we can admin the calmness which
can ees without feeling the sight OF
those two provinces which the German
Premier hao failed to Germanize, and
which will sooner or later bs the cause
OF more bioodshed; for Alsace and Lor.
raine are French to the core, their vote
has proved 1t.
Honor to them for i'll
That lesson in calmness the French
L do rot want to earn; 1t sa vors too much
of the tyrant for a republic to admire,
and they would rather bubble with ex.
citement over the news of freedom for
Germany, and join together in expires.
Isions OF good will and liberty for their
}neighbors, republican Germans, minus
| Alssos and Lorraine. May that time
Eanp1d tlp 10 ha tab 10